Unmasking the role of dehumanization in obstetric violence

Abstract

Objective: obstetric violence is an increasingly recognized issue in the medical and public realms. Such violence refers to situations where women are subjected to abusive encounters with health care professionals, either through action or omission, during childbirth. Despite this increased awareness, research on the psychological factors contributing to it is lacking. This theoretical article proposes that dehumanization, which involves treating a person as less than human, is a crucial mechanism underlying obstetric violence. 

Method: using insights from social psychological literature, we first describe the contextual and enduring factors contributing to dehumanization in medical settings. We then introduce a conceptual model for the dehumanization of women in obstetrics and gynecology. 

Results: we propose that there are four mechanisms responsible for the dehumanization of women in obstetrics and gynecology: (a) the medicalization of birth and the perception of birth as a medical process, (b) the emphasis on women’s reproductive functions, (c) stereotypes about mothers as self-sacrificing, and (d) the belief that a healthy baby is the only outcome that matters. We argue that dehumanizing perceptions and attitudes can in turn result in the harmful experience of obstetric violence. 

Conclusions: based on our discussion of the mechanisms, we propose maintaining factors and potential interventions to address and reduce this form of gender-based violence.

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